Daughter
by Yuri Higarashi
Summary: A Kouga/OC pairing, with other important characters included. All obvious couples are the same. Maybe lemons later on, but hopefully more adventure than romance.
1. From Abroad

Part 1

The emperor watched from the balcony of his seaside castle as the military ship pulled into the private dock carved into the cliff face, two hundred feet below. He motioned for his eldest son to join him at the railing.

"Feast your eyes on the weapon that will finally release us from Naraku's grasp," the gray-haired old man said proudly, patting his son on the shoulder. "Thirty years I've worked myself half to death, for the good of my kingdom. Finally, the answer comes to me."

"Father," the sharp young man responded, his dark eyes narrowing. "How many ships were in that fleet when they set out?"

"The sea claims many. Don't worry. We only needed the one ship to get what we needed."

"That's barbaric," his son responded in disbelief. "Those men all had families!"

"One day when you take my place, you will understand that sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice a few to save many," the older man said prolifically. He leaned forward, trying to get a good look at the ship, but the distance was too far for his age-clouded eyes. "What's the meaning of this? The Captain is bringing her in much too fast, and she's headed for the shore, not the docks!"

"I'll go see…"

"No you don't!" The old man grabbed his son's shirt with a death grip. "Lock the door to my quarters and bring me my looking glass!"

"You don't think…" the son muttered, before doing as his father bid. He returned and tried to push the looking glass into the old man's grip.

The aging emperor refused it. "Your eyes are better. Tell me what's going on down there, quickly now."

"The ship's beached up on the sand," he replied. "It's banged up pretty bad from the reef."

The emperor uttered a curse. "What, were they drunk at the wheel? What's happened?"

"I…I don't see anyone on board, or on the shore. What's going on here?" the emperor's son asked incredulously. "Father…"

The wail of the city alarm interrupted him. Father and son exchanged horrified looks. As the siren continued its cry, the young man rushed toward the door, a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Do not go down there!" his father ordered in a thunderous tone.

His son turned solemnly to his father. "You brought death to us, you foolish old man. At least Naraku was on the other side of our walls!" With that, the prince stormed off to try and rescue the people whom his father had doomed.

Though the young warrior reached the city level hastily, he saw immediately that he was far too late. His city was in burning ruins. He could see the path of destruction, which ended in a huge breach in their defenses. They were now open to the demons from the mainland. He hurriedly went about searching for bodies. There were surprisingly few. Most seemed to have been able to flee the damaged part of the city fairly quickly, and whatever had gotten out only wanted to do just that-get out. During his search, he was met by the Captain of the City Guard.

"Hale, Your Majesty," the soldier said respectfully.

"What the hell was on that boat?" the prince replied snappily.

"I think you best come see," the man said ominously. He led the young prince to where the crashed ship was now being boarded by officials using long catwalks leaned up against the side.

The prince hastened up one of these ramps and took in the scene before him. "What in god's name…" He bent to examine one of the many dark stains on the deck.

"Blood," his Captain said,

"No bodies?"

"We believe she threw them overboard. The rest of the crew is below," the man explained, gaining a greenish pallor. "Spare yourself, it ain't pretty."

The prince ignored him and ducked into the doorway that led below deck. "It's a she is it?"

"Aye, pretty obvious to those who saw her escape the ship and wreak havoc through town."

"How so?"

"Bitch was naked."

"Ah." The prince grimaced and covered his nose with his handkerchief as they reached the ship's storage area. He noted the heavy metal cage tucked near the back of the room, with the heavy manacles hanging from the bars, the ends twisted open. Several of the cages bars had also been bent or broken. The majority of the gore seemed to have collected in this area.

"Captain?" the prince asked, his mouth filled with bitter anger.

"Aye?"

The young man turned to his comrade, his face a mask of rage. "What do you think of my father, for bring this abomination upon us?"

"I…I'm sure I can't say, Sire, it's not my place," the man stuttered, caught off guard.

"It was his bright thinking that killed this entire crew, possibly the deaths of the entire fleet we sent out to begin with. Thanks to him, our city is in ruins and our walls have been breached." The prince fixed the officer with a dark look. "I think…I think he may die of a heart attack this very night, you know. He is _very_ weak…"


	2. The Scourge

Part 2

Fifty miles inland, a white haired dog demon, a monk, a demon slayer, a fox demon, and a priestess were taking a much-needed break from their endless travels. Kagome had donned her skimpy swimsuit and was trying to coax the others into the river they were camped beside.

"InuYasha, you'll come in with me, won't you?" she asked hopefully, pouting alluringly.

InuYasha was stretched out in the grass with his hands behind his head. "No way," he said, yawning. "This is the first day I've had to relax in months and I bet that water is_ freezing_."

"Shippou? What about you?" Kagome asked, turning to the fox demon perched on InuYasha's stomach.

"Aw, but I just took a bath _yesterday_!" the young demon whined pitifully.

"Sango?" Kagome's voice was growing less and less optimistic as she questioned each of her friends.

"Maybe another time," the demon slayer said sleepily. Her eyes closed, she still managed to hook the back of Miroku's robes as he tried to get up. "You're staying _right here_, Monk," she growled.

"Actually, I was standing because we seem to have company," Miroku replied. He joined InuYasha, who was already on his feet. "Good morning Koga," he said cheerfully.

Koga looked exhausted, as though he had been running around all night. He lethargically ignored InuYasha's growling. "It's about to be ruined," he replied, stifling a yawn.

"Koga, what's wrong?" Kagome asked fretfully, getting out of the water and on to the bank. "You don't look so good."

"Some madman is ordering around a legion of soldiers, and they're attacking every demon they come across. My pack mates and I have been on the run all night," the wolf demon explained.

"Humans? Why would they waste their effort on demons that aren't even bothering them?" InuYasha asked, his confusion momentarily outweighing his rivalry.

"Apparently, there's a massive settlement of refugees along the coast that's grown into its own empire over the years. Something attacked the city, which was known for its impenetrable defenses." Koga sighed wearily. "They're sweeping the forests, looking for whatever it was that did it, and killing any demon they come across."

"InuYasha, maybe you and Shippou should…" Kagome began anxiously.

"I suggest you worry about that cat of yours, too," Koga said, addressing Sango, who was cradling Keylala in her arms. "They're killing domestics too."

"This is crazy," Miroku muttered.

"Whatever it is, they're pretty scared of it," Sango mused.

"I can show you a safe place where they won't be able to find you," Koga offered to them. "Personally, I'd rather warn as many others as I can, and then find the nutjob whose responsible for this."

"Koga, you can't keep going on like this," Kagome protested. "Have you really been warning people all night?"

"I refuse to stand idly by as yet another slaughter fest goes on right in front of me," he growled nobly.

"Wolf, you're useless," InuYasha said sourly. "Take Shippou and the girls to this safe spot of yours, and stay put. Miroku and I, we'll take over for you for a bit."

"InuYasha, that's kind of you," Kagome said softly.

"It's not what you think," he said, brushing off the compliment. "I just don't trust him not to screw anything up when he's tired like this."

"I'm only agreeing to this because it makes sense," Koga said arrogantly. "Normally I wouldn't even listen to you."

"Just get lost before I change my mind and decide to use you as bait," InuYasha shot back moodily.

"C'mon ladies, there's a safe spot not far from here," Koga said, addressing Kagome and Sango. "You two go ahead of me, I'll tell you were to go and cover our trail."

"You have to admit, he's pretty competent sometimes," Miroku said as Koga's voice faded away.

"I think if he was responsible for even just one more death, even if it wasn't really his fault, it would kill him," InuYasha said sadly. "I don't think he's about to let something like that happen to him ever again."


	3. Found

Part 3

She was panicking. The girl hated dark spaces almost as much as she hated being at sea. To keep her mind busy and away from another panic attack, the girl nursed the wound on her shoulder, which had been given to her by an arrow.

Who am I? she wondered as she licked her wound. I am called Yuki, I know only that. The ragged girl had no recollection of how she had gotten to this strange place that she was in now. Well, she remembered the boat. The boat had made her terribly ill, and she had passed out. Now she was here. Hiding. From whoever had been shooting at her.

Clothes. I need clothes. she thought, more clearly now. I am naked. Young ladies are not naked. She paused in her cleansing of her wound. Young ladies did also not lick. So what was she? Something told her, a gut feeling, to feel the top of her head. She felt two furry ears. The same feeling told her to touch the base of her spine. She had a tail.

A little less uneasy, the demoness settled into her dark hidey hole to wait for darkness. She breathed in the earthy smell that told her she was in an old badger's den, invisible to the human eye, detectable only by something with a keen sense of smell. As she waited, she went over everything she_ did_ remember. She remembered waking and being set upon by rude men. She remembered being chained on that horrible, rickety boat. Then, she remembered being here.

She would have to wait a bit longer to puzzle over lost time, because something approached. She smelled men and suppressed a snarl, wanting to stay hidden. She heard the sound of low voices conversing, and then one of them drew closer. Small pieces of earth fell from the vibration of footfalls as they approached. Suddenly, an upside-down face appeared at the entrance to her hidey-hole and stared straight into her eyes.

"YEEEEEEEEEEK!"

InuYasha fell over the hole he had been looking into, holding his ears in pain. "Son of a bitch!"

"What was that?" Miroku asked, on his guard. He raised his guard, ready for a fight.

InuYasha held up his hand and waved it. "Take it easy, it was just a little girl. She screamed."

"Sounded more like a banshee. Did you make a face at her?" Miroku asked teasingly.

"Be quiet," InuYasha snapped. He got down on all fours to try again. "Hey! We come in peace!" The scream picked up again, louder and longer this time. InuYasha got up, brushing himself off. "Let her die," he said irritably.

"InuYasha, you just don't have the charm," Miroku scolded. "Let _me _give it a try." He was startled when InuYasha took his shirt off and tossed it to him. "What's this for?"

"She's naked; she's going to need it, and you _better not_ peek you pervert."

Yuki had been listening to the exchange very carefully. When the monk addressed her, his voice very close to the opening, this time she didn't scream.

"Young lady, you're in danger if you stay here any longer," he said gently. "Men are coming who would hurt you if they found you."

"How…" Her voice came out in a croak, as though she hadn't used it in a long while. She cleared her throat and tried again. "How do I know you're not dangerous?" she asked hoarsely.

"Oh, but we _are _dangerous," Miroku explained. "To the bad guys."

Yuki was torn. She nibbled a nail indecisively. She was alone and defenseless in a strange place. These two, for she could tell there were only two of them, were different from those who had been chasing her. Finally she decided to take the chance and wiggled herself out of the tight fit. Immediately a garment was thrown on top of her, putting her into a panic that she had been tricked for a brief moment. When she realized she wasn't trapped, she pulled the red cloth off of her head and looked at it.

"Put it on," InuYasha ordered urgently. "C'mon we don't have all day."

Yuki threw the shirt over her head and pulled it on. She got to her feet, shying away when Miroku offered her his hand. For the first time, she got a good look at her "rescuers". To her relief, they didn't look like seasoned warriors. In fact, they looked _young_. Despite not knowing her own age, she sensed that these two boys couldn't be much older, even if one _did_ have white hair.

"Maybe we should head after Koga," Miroku suggested as InuYasha stifled a yawn.

"What? Bring her with us?" InuYasha asked.

"Well she's alone and obviously shaken up. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her to fend for herself right now." Miroku turned to the young girl. "Do you have a name?"

The girl appeared to be thinking. After a moment, her answer came out in a question. "Yuki?"

"My name is Miroku, and this is InuYasha. Would you like to come with us? We know somewhere safe."

"I…I don't know," she replied honestly, studying her feet.

"She's disoriented," Miroku observed. "We'll have to be careful not to…"

"There you guys are!" Koga exclaimed loudly, dropping down from above them. He watched as Yuki uttered a silent scream and passed out. "Uh, who's the chick and why did she just faint?"

"Miroku said she's mixed-up," InuYasha said. "We found her hiding in that hole over there, under the tree."

"Probably shaken up by the troops stomping through the forest, killing demons," Koga said bitterly.

"I think she's the last one," InuYasha said. "All the rest seem to of fled already."

Koga's eyes narrowed and he bent forward for a closer look. "That's odd. I don't think I recognize her."

"Why would you?" Miroku wondered. "You don't know every demon in the forest, do you?"

"No, but wolf demons make it a point to know one another."


	4. Nightmare

Part 4

The ship's hold was lit by only a single candle which burned dimly from a lamp swinging overhead. Somewhere in the shadows, chains clinked in time with the rocking of the boat.

Yuki was terrified, but her feet brought her closer to the thing waiting in the shadows. Why am I back here again? she demanded of herself, thinking furiously. No matter how she tried, things didn't add up. First she had been here, then the forest, and now here she was again. Was she doomed to repeat this nightmare forever?

The weak light glinted off of something shiny in the dark ahead of her. Yuki pulled back, just as a clawed hand shot out of the darkness. Before it could caress her cheek, it was snapped back by the chain on its wrist. Yuki heard a hiss of frustration, followed by the sound of grating metal.

"This doesn't add up," she said aloud to reassure herself. "This can't be real. Whatever is back there isn't real."

"Oh," growled an all-too familiar voice. "But I _am_ real."

Yuki sat straight up, her forehead connecting with something solid. When the stars had cleared from her vision, she noticed that a man who was neither of the men from earlier was sitting next to her, with a dazed expression on his face, rubbing his own head.

"Where am I?" she demanded of him while he was still regaining his senses. "How did I get here? Why was I unconscious? How long was I…?"

Without a word to her, the other demon got up and spoke to someone behind him. "I don't think she likes me. Where's Miroku?"

"Here, let _me _try," Kagome said, pushing him aside. She offered the sitting girl a hand. "Can you stand up?"

"Where do you people _come_ from? Yuki asked suspiciously, ignoring the hand and remaining where she was. "Why do I smell?"

"I know, right? It's that damn dog demon…"

"Shut up Koga," Kagome snapped. She smiled at Yuki pleasantly. "My name is Kagome. Some friends of mine found you in the path of…"

"Yeah yeah, I know about the humans." Yuki looked guiltily down at her lap. "It's my fault they went on this killing rampage."

"_What_?" Koga growled in surprise.

"Take it easy, Koga, at least she's honest," Kagome said mildly.

Koga ignored her and stomped up to Yuki. "Do you have any idea what your stupid little stunt caused? Innocent demons are being caught and killed…"

Yuki sigh in defeat. "All because I escaped. I don't know what they even wanted with me."

"That's the least of it!" Koga snapped angrily. "You attacked unarmed villagers, destroyed…"

"What?" Yuki asked in a horrified tone. "I didn't do that!"

"You just said…"

"Koga, enough!" Kagome shouted, shoving him away. "You're absolutely no help! Go away! And if you tell InuYasha we're in the company of a crazed killer, you'll live to regret it!"

Yuki was pale and trembling when Kagome turned back to her, having finally gotten rid of Koga. "Why don't you explain to me what happened. If you didn't kill anyone, then it couldn't have been you they're after."

"Well, I'm pretty sure it's me they're after," Yuki said grimly. "I was important to them for some reason. I overheard some men on the boat that brought me over, and they've been searching for me for years! I don't know why; I'm nothing special really and it seems like there are plenty of demons right here, so why would they search so far away?"

"How did you escape?" Kagome pressed gently.

"That's just it. I don't remember. One minute some of the sailors were teasing me and I was chained up inside the boat, and the next thing I know, the dog demon and his smooth-talking friend are coaxing me out of a badger den." Yuki looked troubled as she explained this. "My memory keeps skipping forward. For a moment here before I was completely awake, I thought I was back on that damn boat…"

"Don't worry too much about it," Kagome said soothingly. "Maybe your memory will come back to you later, you just have to relax, okay?"

"Why does that demon who just walked out think I don't like him?" Yuki asked, changing the subject easily enough.

"Oh, that's Koga. Don't mind him, he has a bad temper but he's an all right guy. He said you didn't like him because you fainted when he surprised you and you head-butted him when you woke up."

"He seemed ready to kill me."

"He'll calm down soon. It's in his nature to be a bit aggressive."


	5. A Longer Chapter Than Per Usual

Part 5

Yuki left the cave, savoring the smell of fresh air and the rushing sound of the waterfall that crashed into the water below. The cave was set high into the cliff and invisible from the ground, yet easy for a demon to reach with a few quick leaps.

Still wrapped in InuYasha's shirt until something more suitable could be found, she nimbly worked her way to the bottom, where Koga was talking to the brown-haired woman known as Sango.

"The army is burning up all its resources, and it has nothing to gain," the demon slayer said keenly. "Most of the demons have made it a safe distance away from here and the humans will have to stop sooner or later."

"There's nothing more to do then but let it burn itself out," Koga agreed.

Sango nodded a greeting as Yuki approached and mounted Keylala. "I'll take another look, but I bet you they'll be in the same place as yesterday, if they're not already retreating."

When Sango disappeared, Koga regarded Yuki sulkily. "If it isn't the murderer."

"Kagome said that if you said that I should remind you that you're one too," Yuki retorted.

"Yeah and I'm paying for it runt, what're_ you_ doing?" he replied hotly.

"I told you I had nothing to do with whatever monster that attacked that town," Yuki protested angrily, raising her voice.

"Oh I'm sorry, you just _happened _to break out of prison on the _same_ day, take the _same_ escape route through the _same_ town, and you're saying you didn't notice anything odd about all the dead bodies?" Koga responded cynically.

"At least I'm not so wrapped up in making accusations that I didn't notice that Sango's coming back already, and that's not a good sign." Yuki folded her arms across her chest. "Some sentry _you_ are."

Koga whirled around, scanning the sky for signs of the demon slayer. Yuki's arms wrapped around his neck and dragged him down. He thrust her away. "I knew it! You…"

"What out you idiot!" Yuki snapped, rolling away as another volley of arrows rained down on them. She was back on her feet in the same fluid moment, claws extended. "We're surrounded!"

This is a different girl from the one who fainted at the sight of me Koga wondered bewilderedly. This girl is in complete control…

More arrows bounced off of InuYasha's shirt, unable to pierce the special fabric. While Koga was forced to keep moving to keep from being hit, Yuki stood as still as a statue. When he whipped by her, she snagged the sword from his belt and flung it into the brush. The wail of an injured man told them that her aim had been true.

"Hey, that was mine!" Koga snapped indignantly.

"Then go get it," Yuki retorted impatiently. "Sango is in trouble if we don't do something fast." Something about the sadistic way she was grinning made him uneasy. The look was unnatural, and too toothy to be the smile of a half-demon.

"Fine. You warn…" Koga began.

"I'll give away our hiding spot if I do that," Yuki protested sharply. "Besides, I remember now."

"Remember wha…" Koga didn't have a chance to finish his sentence before the first wave of soldiers broke out of their hiding place. He fell back, unwilling to take human lives. Yuki was lost to him in a blur of flying claws and blood. She startled him by appearing right in front of him, covered from head to toe in blood.

"Softie," she growled. "What's wrong? Did the priestess tramp steal your balls as well as your heart?"

"No, it's just that, unlike you, I'm not a total _monster _anymore," Koga severely.

To his surprise, Yuki responded by grabbing the sides of her head and screeching in pain. She staggered away from him, and the crowd swallowed her up. A moment later, the men around her fell away and pieces and she winced painfully, now holding a rusty sword in each hand. Breathing heavily, she seemed to be begging him with her eyes.

"This…self-defense…"she panted. "Sango…"A scream pierced the air, causing both demons to look up in the direction that the demon slayer had gone earlier.

Yuki nodded for Koga to go on ahead. He left her to hold her own while she waited for the others to come. Koga weaved in and out of the human army towards the sound of the cry. He found the demon slayer badly cut up and holding her ground while backed up against a tree, Keylala cradled to her chest. He could see that she too was hesitant to kill her own kind.

He broke their ranks, dealing only non-lethal blows with his fists and feet that out his foes in a daze. Soon he was in the middle of the group with Sango.

"Can you get us out of here?" she asked urgently.

"If we run, we'll be split from the others." Koga groped for his sword and growled with annoyance when he found the sheath empty. "Even if I was into the killing of thousands, we don't stand a chance without the rest."

"Are there really that many?" she asked fearfully. She swooned weakly and held his arm for support.

"It's a pity, really," a voice above them said. "I don't even think they realize who they're supposed to be fighting." Yuki dropped down from the branches above them, brandishing her plundered blades. "It's like killing mindless plants."

"How many have you killed so far?" Koga demanded bellicosely.

"Only the one's swinging swords at my head," the demon girl replied nonchalantly.

"Something's not right," Sango muttered to Koga.

"No kidding."

"No, I mean…you don't _feel _it? There's…some sort of aura coming off of her in waves. Miroku would know more."

"Maybe its anti-army mojo," Yuki replied. "They seem afraid to attack me now." She looked at the human woman in surprise. "What? You thought I couldn't hear you?"

"They're not attacking because you're a weapon and they want you _alive_," Koga said hostilely.

"She's possessed," Sango said, the realization dawning on her. "I've seen Miroku deal with people who acted strangely like this before."

"You're bleeding heavily, try not to move around so much," the wolf leader warned her.

"Speaking of pissed, over-protective boyfriends…" Yuki murmured. "I can hear InuYasha and the others fighting their way through." She cut down the soldiers nearest to her and disappeared. Immediately upon her departure the rest began attacking again.

Koga left Sango sitting against the tree and circled the tree as fast as his legs could carry him, deflecting attacks and getting nicked by swords here and there. Sheer numbers, however, soon pressed him to make smaller and smaller circles as the group of bloodthirsty soldiers closed in on them.

Yuki appeared out of nowhere once more, forcing Koga to halt before he ran into her. She had a stone-faced Miroku in tow. The monk made a beeline for Sango. Koga and Yuki were left standing face to face.

Suddenly, Yuki stumbled forward, the tip of a broadsword protruding from her gut. The villainous gleam in her eyes disappeared and was replaced by a look of pure terror as she bent over, blood pouring from her mouth.

Unbridled fury at seeing yet another one of his own fall overwhelmed Koga's mercy factor. His claws pierced the neck of the man who had taken Yuki down and ripped out the soldier's throat. He let out a rancorous howl that was heard by every fighter in the area that day.

InuYasha looked up briefly from knocking skulls together to render his opponents unconscious. "Koga's had it with compassion for today," he explained to Kagome, who had Shippou riding on her shoulder. "He's right. It's us or them."

"But there are thousands of them!" Kagome protested.

"I smell demon blood. One of us is hurt. Our only hope is to kill as many of them as it takes for us to be able to break free."

Koga stood panting over a multitude of bodies. Looking at them made him want to be sick. He squeezed his eyes shut and looked away, but his hands were sticky with blood, tying him to cruel reality.

"Koga," Sango said weakly. "There's another wave coming, I can see them through the trees."

Koga fell to his knees in submission, his shoulders sagging. He glanced up at the approaching legion lethargically.

"Well I'm going to do something about this," Miroku growled, angry for one of the few times in his life. He stepped away from Sango, getting ready to uncover his ultimate weapon on the unsuspecting warriors. The Wind Tunnel's unknowing victims drew closer and closer until they were almost within reach of Koga. Miroku got ready to open his clenched fist to suck them all in.

"Stop," a placid voice said. The army obeyed, freezing in their tracks. Bewildered, Miroku turned towards the sound of the voice.

A blonde youth with tanned skin was grinning cockily at him. The young man strode up to the monk and offered him his hand, which was adorned with golden rings and bangles. Miroku shook the shorter man's hand wordlessly.

Yuki chose that moment to regain consciousness. She moaned loudly and tried to get up. Since Koga had been protecting her body, he was sitting right beside her and she flopped limply into his unsuspecting lap.

"Who might you be?" Miroku asked, since Koga seemed too dazed to ask questions.

"I am Hikaru. The Wolf Queen Ayame…"

"Ayame?" Koga enquired shrewdly, snapping out of his stupor. "What have _you_ got to do with_ her_?"

"Don't act so appalled," Hikaru said with a smirk. "You must be Koga, in which case you of all people have no right to be jealous. It was _you_ who broke it off after all."

"What's he talking about?" Yuki asked heavily, her head still resting in Koga's lap.

"I just can't believe she'd be such a hypocrite!" Koga remarked. "You're human!"

"Alas, I am not, or my life would've been so much easier," Hikaru said, frowning for the first time. "I'm a halfling, just like that pathetic excuse in your lap as well as the one hurrying toward us as we speak."

"Half of _what_ is what I'd like to know," Koga grumbled heatedly.

"Who're you?" InuYasha demanded, several minutes too late. He did a quick sweep of the frozen figures around them. "We're not frozen so I guess you're on our side, correct?"

"It could be a _trap_, don't play so dumb, mutt," Koga said harshly.

"He reeks of your kind, especially that girlfriend of yours," InuYasha goaded. "Aren't all wolf demons' allies?"

"Can we have this discussion after we take care of Sango?" Miroku asked them all urgently. "Yuki appears to be bleeding out as well."

"Let me see," Kagome said, taking her first-aid kit out of her bag and kneeling by the injured demon slayer. "InuYasha will you check on Yuki?"

"How did _she_ get hurt?" InuYasha demanded incredulously. "She has my shirt! It's impenetrable!"

"I'm sorry," Yuki muttered sullenly, hanging her head. She coughed and blood sprayed the ground. "It went right through the cloth…"

"Oh, stand up; I've taken worse hits than that!" InuYasha ordered petulantly, pulling her up by the collar. "You're such a freakin' drama queen!"

"Do you know which of these weapons hurt her?" Hikaru asked Koga, kicking around the fallen bodies. "It may have been…"He stopped when Koga grabbed him by the shirt.

"Back off pretty boy, we don't need your help," the wolf demon growled, holding him a moment before pushing him away. "Get lost."

"If I leave, these soldiers will re-animate and your friends and you will die," Hikaru said darkly, grimacing. "My powers have a limited range."

"Koga," InuYasha said urgently, alerting the demon that something wasn't right by the tone in his voice. "Yuki just went unconscious." He was doing his best to support the limp girl. He ended up laying her back down in the grass. "I think I was wrong about her faking it…"

"Get away from her," Koga said coldly.

"Koga, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Kagome asked, alarmed.

"She's a wolf demon. I should've been trying to protect her to begin with, instead of being so stubborn." He took a step toward Yuki, and InuYasha wisely backed away.

"If I just knew what type of poison…"Hikaru interjected mildly.

"Let me tend to my kind. Why don't you look after your own?" the wolf demon snapped viciously, baring his fangs.

"You're stubbornness will cost your young friend her life," Hikaru warned tensely.

Koga ignored him and crouched to take Yuki's pulse and check under her eyelids. He picked up one of her limp hands and let it fall back by her side.

"Are you _chuckling_?" Hikaru demanded. "What's so funny about your inability to take care of your comrades?"

Koga stood up and turned to face him, a huge grin on his face. "Oh, you were right, human. She _could've_ died, were it not for the fact that they wanted her _alive_ and therefore used an easily reversible drug."

"Don't be so smug!" the tan halfling grumbled. "It could've easily been something deadly, and then you would've been forced to watch her die!"

Koga ignored him and scooped the comatose girl into his arms. "All these frozen soldiers are starting to creep me out. I'm going to go somewhere far, far away."

"You're leaving with her?" InuYasha demanded incredulously. "And I thought _Miroku_ was bad!"

Koga looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry mutt, I still only have eyes for Kagome." He pointedly passed by Hikaru without acknowledging him. "If Ayame wants to see me so bad, she can come find me, _without_ her new little toy."

"You trust him?" InuYasha asked Kagome doubtfully.

"It's best to leave him be for now," she replied reasonably. "The appearance of this new guy seems to have upset him."


	6. Healed

Part 6

Yuki woke up with a pounding headache and a horrible taste in her mouth. She sat up with some effort, rumbling her temple. When the forest stopped spinning around her, she became aware that the only other person there was Koga, and he was watching her intently from a short distance away, sitting cross-legged in the moss.

"How come every time I wake up and you're around, I have a million questions?" she asked crabbily, glaring at him with distaste.

"You were poisoned. I was the only one who knew how to cure you. I had to take you away from the others because I couldn't focus with…certain people around." Koga looked disinclined to say anymore and abruptly his face softened. "How's your injury?"

"Just dandy. Like it never happened, except…"

"You're still covered in your own blood as well as the blood of possibly a hundred human warriors,"Koga said severely, fixing her with a disapproving expression.

"Look, I'm sorry they were just mindless goons being ordered around by a merciless madman, but you saw how many there were!" Yuki argued fervently. "The only possible way of staying alive was to fight our way through."

"Or we simply could've frozen them and run like cowards…" Koga muttered irately.

"Hm?" Yuki asked, perking her eyes.

"Just do me a favor, tell me you at least didn't _enjoy_ it," Koga said imploringly. He was gritting his teeth and looked a bit haunted as he said it, causing Yuki to believe that in the end he too had been forced to do something he wasn't proud of.

"I am not a mindless killing machine," Yuki said, staring down at her lap. "I suppose I do enjoy a battle now and then but that's not what this was. This was…a slaughter."

"That's good to hear," Koga said, getting to his feet. "Don't try to stand just yet," he said when he saw her trying to get up. "It takes a while for the paralysis to wear off completely."

"What did you give me? It tasted horrible, whatever it was."

"Yes, I'm afraid the plant cure is quite potent-tasting." Koga produced a water bottle and offered it to her. "I got this from Kagome. It should at least wash away some of the tang." As she took it from him, Koga raised his chin and growled.

"What's wrong?" Yuki asked, feeling suddenly vulnerable and helpless.

The leaves above them rustled in a sudden breeze. Koga frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Ayame," he breathed unhappily.

In a flurry of leaves, a red-head in white furs appeared between them. Ayame regarded Yuki with disapproval and then addressed Koga. "What's this about you refusing to accompany Karu?" she demanded irritably.

"I don't obey orders from anything with a pet name, especially a human," Koga replied moodily. "Besides, tending to one of my own comes first."

"Am I not one of your own?" Ayame asked curtly. "Not only that, but as the Grand Ruler, I take precedence over…"

"You have your cute little time-elf to help you," Koga interrupted. "Isn't he enough to satisfy your needs?"

"This isn't about_ me_, Koga," Ayame explained tersely. "This isn't about _us_, or your stupid grudge. This is about the well-being of our species."

"Oh, I get it," Koga said, smirking. "You can't have a half-bred heir, so you're propositioning me to breed. Sorry, not interested."

Ayame snarled angrily. "Get your head out of the gutter!" she snapped. "That's _not _what I meant!"

Yuki tried standing on shaky legs. She swayed, holding her arms out for balance. Koga tried to assist her, but she refused his help. "I can do it," she said determinedly, before promptly falling over on her face.

Ayame snorted. "You really don't set your standards high enough, Koga. Humans? Clumsy half-breeds? Are you _trying_ to kill our species?"

Before Koga could answer, Yuki was on her feet again, this time holding his shoulder for balance. She glared at Ayame and pointed a threatening finger at her. "Listen up, Princess, or whoever you are. Your worthless opinion aside, what the hell do you want? Or did you just come here to torment him because you're jealous that he didn't pick your irritating ass?"

"Koga, tell your woman to learn her place before I have her ears removed," Ayame said airily, speaking over Yuki's head.

"I think she has a point, Ayame. Just tell us why you're here," Koga said indignantly.

"Fine," Ayame said huffily, crossing her arms in front of her and pouting. "I just thought, since you're so eager for redemption, you might be interested to know that I sent spies to the place where the soldiers are coming from, and something seems _very _wrong."

"How so?" Koga asked guardedly.

"Less than a week ago, the town was just a peaceful settlement that made a point to keep out of demon business. The emperor was a greedy bastard, but the prince was known for his compassion. Apparently, the emperor died of mysterious causes, and the supposedly kind prince is waging wars every which way. Not just against the demons, either. He's been attacking other settlements as well, and his army never seems to dwindle."

"Sounds fishy," Koga agreed grudgingly.

"Hikaru believes that the prince is possessed."

"Why doesn't he just take care of it the way he handled the platoon that attacked us?" he asked bitterly.

"He's afraid that whatever's causing this won't be affected by his powers. He's not a fighter, and I won't send him to what could potentially be his death."

"Oh, but my life has no meaning to you?" Koga demanded, sounding hurt.

"Koga," Ayame said gently, looking at him pleadingly. "You're a strong fighter, and you have others to help you. The risk for you would be far less."

"If power's what you want, what's with the soft squishy human?"

"What choice did you give me, Koga?" she demanded fiercely. "You made it quite clear that you were unavailable to me! I took _your_ advice and followed my heart to someone who wasn't a huge asshole!" Her voice broke and tears began to glint in the corners of her eyes.

"Okay, I get the idea!" Koga said, holding up his hands in defense. "I'll mention the prince to InuYasha but I can't promise they'll help me. We're not exactly chummy with one another."

"I'll help," Yuki offered eagerly.

"The hell you are," Koga commented under his breath. "Ayame, you've said your piece now get lost."

"Hey!" Yuki protested indignantly.

"Very well, Koga. My warriors will help you get past the numbers guarding this monster, but beyond that you're on your own," she said pettily. "Be seeing you," she said, casting a final glare in Yuki's direction before disappearing.

"Why can't I help?" Yuki demanded.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because this is _your_ fault in the first place!" Koga snapped, throwing his hands up in the air. "Besides, you'll be no help; when we first met you, you were cowering in fear, and when you finally decided to grow a backbone, you left yourself wide open for attack!"

"You distracted me!" she said accusingly, pointing a finger at him.

"Look, you're way too young for this sort of thing anyway." Koga folded his arms stubbornly.

An image appeared in Yuki's head. A dark form shifted around restlessly, tugging at its chains. It narrowed its glowing eyes and smiled toothily. "I'm more than you think," she said in a distracted whisper.


	7. Back to the Ship

Part 7

"Anyway, whatever it is that's going on, Ayame thinks it's too dangerous for her wolves," Koga said, concluding his recap of what Ayame had said. "She wants _us _to do it for her."

"_Together_? Why would I do her any favors to begin with, let alone one that involved dealing with _you_?" InuYasha asked brashly.

"Koga?" Kagome interjected politely. "What exactly did you say to Yuki, anyway?"

Koga turned around and saw that the half demon had snuck away during his summary and was now skulking with her ears laid flat. She pointedly looked away from his gaze.

"She's mad because I told her how useless she is in battle," he said irritably. "Right now she's trying to come up with a reason we _shouldn't_ leave her behind."

"There's still no _we_," InuYasha argued. "I haven't agreed to it yet."

Koga sighed grudgingly. "Once things around here are settled, I'll have to get Yuki assimilated into a pack before she gets herself into any more trouble. It could take weeks to find somewhere she'll be happy, and in the meantime I won't be able to bother you."

"There's always the chance this could be linked to Naraku," Sango reminded InuYasha. "Manipulation is his favorite game, remember?"

"He usually lays his traps better than this," Miroku said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

"It's not him," Yuki said, startling them all. She had come back over to join the group without being noticed.

"You don't even know who he is," InuYasha pointed out.

"Exactly," Yuki said. "I don't know Naraku, but whatever it is wreaking havoc, I'm willing to bet it got here the same way I did."

"You think it came from across seas?" Miroku asked, intrigued. "Do you know what it is?"

"Not in the least. But this all began happening when I arrived here, and even though I'm with you now, it's _still_ happening. Who knows what could've snuck onto the ship while they were loading me?"

"Okay, that makes some sense I suppose, but that doesn't mean you'll be of any use," Koga said obstinately.

"You need the numbers," she persisted. "What's more, if you leave me behind, I'll just go on my own, thus putting everyone in even more peril by spitting us all up."

Koga scowled at her as she grinned victoriously. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Once I stick you in a pack, such cheekiness won't be tolerated."

"Who says I have to join a pack anyway?" Yuki demanded willfully.

"First of all, it's dangerous for you to be out on your own. Secondly, someone's going to force you into their pack sooner or later; going along with it just makes it easier."

Yuki looked thoughtful before she responded. "What, you mean like, claim me as their mate?"

"To put it bluntly, yes."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Why don't you claim me?"

Koga let out a huge sigh. "Because I don't like you," he said flatly.

"So why do you care so much about my well-being?" Yuki asked innocently. "Not letting me fight, insisting I join a pack…"

"I have enough deaths on my conscious," he responded frostily.

Yuki looked unmoved. She sighed and took off InuYasha's shirt, handing it back to him.

"What are you doing?" Koga demanded, averting his eye awkwardly.

"Going to go get my clothes," she said determinedly, turning her back on them and walking away with her head held high.

Okay, I'm doing well. I remembered where my clothes are. Now if I could just remember everything else… Yuki tensed and listened carefully. She had just enough time to climb the nearest tree before two human sentries emerged and passed right below her. What was I thinking, leaving them behind like that? she mentally chastised herself.

When the men had passed, she dropped silently to the ground. "No matter," she muttered under her breath. "I was made for stealth."

"Did you hear something?" one of the men asked his partner, causing Yuki to scramble away hastily.

She quickly came upon the breach in the city wall. Beyond the giant hole, she could see clear to the shore, where the beached ship still lay on its side. There were sentries on the wall on both sides of the opening, but something wasn't right.

"How did a city this big survive this long without wards?" she wondered to herself, puzzled. Although it would make it easier for her to get by, it was odd. In fact, she could've sworn… Yuki suddenly winced and put a hand on her throbbing head. After a few moments, the feeling passed and she opened her eyes. "Oh no…" she said, growing pale. "It_ was_ me…why…?"

Raised voices briefly distracted her, and she looked through the breach to see what was going on. She couldn't believe her eyes.

A soldier was harassing a woman, who was in hysterics. He shook her roughly by the shoulders and demanded something of her. When she shook her head fiercely, he unsheathed his sword and held it to her neck.

"I don't understand!" the woman said pleadingly, tears spilling down her face.

"Don't play dumb!" the soldier replied, almost desperately. "The emperor…" A flash of color passed in front of him. The woman was thrown to the ground, but unharmed. He stared in disbelief at the slash carved into his chest.

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" Yuki asked mockingly, showing him her bloody claws.

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "You're the one he's looking for!" The man looked around frantically for backup. His cry of alarm died away as Yuki grabbed his throat and squeezed.

"Ah yes. The supposedly peaceful prince who marches you for days on end and allows for violence towards women," Yuki spat angrily. "Open your eyes fool." She tossed the man aside and glanced over her shoulder at the fallen woman, who was looking up at her fearfully.

Yuki looked around and realized that the destruction was not limited to the aftermath of her escape, but the rest of the city had fallen into ruin as well. Few people were on the streets; in fact, she seemed to have gone unnoticed. Many of those in view had visible bruises on their faces and necks. The woman lying behind her had a terrible burn that reached halfway up one of her arms.

"Tell me, woman," she growled softly. "Did all of this happen the night I laid waste here?"

"The soldiers are strange," she admitted weakly. "We never had this kind of army and are not equipped to house such numbers."

"This city is ill," Yuki said with disgust. "Leave here. Bring as many with you as will listen." The demon girl walked on without looking back to see the woman's reaction. She set her eyes on the ship that lay beyond the dead city.


	8. To the Castle

Part 7

Koga stooped down and studied the markings in the dirt. When he was done, he stood up and shook his head. "She definitely headed in the direction of the city. Damn it, InuYasha, she's going to be killed, how could you let her go like that?" he asked angrily.

"What are you talking about? _You_ watched her leave too!" InuYasha snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at his rival.

"I thought she'd be _bluffing_," Koga said defensively. "Who would be stupid enough to go in there_ alone,_ for a set of _clothes_, no less? Why couldn't she have just gotten new ones?"

Yuki slipped into the hold of the ship, grimacing at the stench of damp timber and mold. It had been surprisingly easy to get aboard the ship; all of the emperor's armed men seemed to be out scouring the forest for her. At least she now knew that despite his massive army, there were weak spots left all over the city.

She purposely gave the cell that had contained her a wide berth, moving in the direction of some open crates in the corner. She paused to give the mangled bars an appreciatory glance, noting that they were probably made out of a very sturdy, re-enforced metal.

She froze as she was fishing her modest robes out of one of the crates. Her mouth dropped open and a look of realization dawned on her. She held up the rough fabric and looked at it with disbelief. "I am such a dumbass," she muttered.

"I don't see any sign of her," InuYasha said, scanning the deserted street. "In fact, I don't see much of anyone."

"I don't hear any screaming," Koga reported hopefully. "Maybe she didn't come in here after all. That or she hasn't been spotted yet."

"Maybe we're too late and she massacred everyone and dragged their bodies into her underground lair."

Koga ignored his companion and studied their surrounding some more. "If you were an emperor possessed by an evil spirit, where would you hide?"

"Probably in a giant castle fortress built into a cliff side," Yuki answered, appearing out of nowhere and startling them both. She pointed towards the beach. "Like that one."

"Koga's glad you're not dead," InuYasha said disinterestedly, following her finger.

"Where are all the guards at?" Koga asked her curiously. "There's a giant hole in the wall and nobody's watching it."

"I supposed they're either out looking for me still or gathering at the castle," the she-demon answered. "All the townsfolk are hiding; they're more afraid of the armed men then they are demons."

InuYasha eyed her plain robes doubtfully. "You risked your life to retrieve those rags? What, are they enchanted?"

"It's hard to find stuff that fits me," Yuki snapped moodily. "C'mon, enough chit-chat, let's go." She stalked off in the direction of the sea cliffs.

None of them spoke on the way to the cliffs. No guards or other citizens got in their way. The afternoon was waning as they came upon the first flight of steps. Yuki grunted impatiently and leapt up to the lowest balcony, bypassing the steps before the others could stop her. They heard a short scuffle break out, followed by a man crying out in pain. The body of a guard dropped down in front of them with a sickening thud.

"She could've warned us," Koga grumbled irritably.

"She did," InuYasha argued. "That was her way of saying "Caution: there are guards ahead"."

Yuki was waiting for them on the balcony, leaning against the cliff-face with her eyes closed. When they arrived, she opened her eyes again and moved on ahead without a word.

"Does she seem more competent than before?" Koga muttered curiously to InuYasha. "I could've sworn she wasn't capable of this a few hours ago."

"Don't question it, at least she's not hindering us, since she insisted on coming," InuYasha said, dismissing his suspicion.

Up ahead, Yuki was already crouching over another stealthily slain guard. She felt like there was fire in her veins, burning merrily and fueling her strength. In fact, she felt stronger and more together for every step she took to get closer to the castle at the top. Something up there was drawing her. She should've been concerned, but instead the feeling only made her urgent to reach the emperor. A hand fell onto her shoulder and she whirled around, ready to plunge her claws in. A hiss escaped her.

"Don't you dare," Koga growled threateningly. "Slow down, okay? We want to remain unnoticed as long as possible."

"He's not guarding himself well," Yuki observed huffily, pulling away from him. "He's _expecting_ us, and he knows we're here already."

"All the more reason to be cautious of a trap," Koga reasoned, his eyes clouding over. "Never again do I want to fall into someone else's net…"

"Worst case scenario, I blast a hole in the wall with Tetsaiga and we jump into the ocean," InuYasha interrupted him. He nodded to Yuki. "We're close now. The slower and more cautious our approach is, the more ready he'll be for us."

Yuki approached the wooden deck of the castle. Her nose led her to the first door on the left. She threw it open and stood in the doorway, fangs bared. Before Koga or InuYasha had a chance to see into the room, Yuki suddenly let out a choked cry of pain and collapsed. As they ran to either side of her, she hunched onto her elbows and knees, holding her head and howling mournfully. A dark shadow expanded from underneath her and shot into the room.


End file.
